Pipe wrench construction

ABSTRACT

A wrench construction including an elongated handle having an endwise facing stationary jaw at one end and defining a short sleeve disposed to one side of the stationary jaw. An elongated threaded shank is slidably received through the sleeve and includes a second laterally outwardly projecting movable jaw facing toward, opposing and aligned with the stationary jaw. A thrust nut is threaded on the shank and opposes the sleeve end remote from the movable jaw. Further, an overcenter lever assembly is connected between the handle and the nut for shifting the shank relative to the handle.

United States Patent lnventor Coy B. Lock Alice, Tex. Appl. No. 822,139 Filed May 6, 1969 Patented May 11, 197! Assignees Clemens N. Freybig Alice, Paul Racusin Corpus Christi, Tex. a fractional part interest to each PIPE WRENCH CONSTRUCTION 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 269/96, 81/167 Int. Cl B34q 3/02, B25b 13/16 Field ofSearch 269/165,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,373,861 4/1921 Briles 8 ill 73UX 2,102,287 12/1937 Smethets. 8 ill 67X 2,971,411 2/l96l Dull 269/96X Primary ExaminerWilliam S. Lawson Assistant Examiner-Donald D. Evenson Attorneys-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson Patented May 11, 1971 3,578,307

Gay 8. Lac/r INVIENTOK.

1 PIPE WRENCH CONSTRUCTION The wrench construction of the instant invention consists essentially of a slightly modified Stilson wrench. The wrench includes the usual handle and threaded shank supported from the handle for longitudinal shifting relative to the latter and the handle and shank include opposing jaws. A thrust nut is threaded on the end of the shank remote from its jaw and is disposed for engagement with a portion of the handle facing in the same direction in which the jaw carried by the shank faces. This of course is conventional Stilson wrench construction. However, the wrench of the instant invention includes a second class lever swingably supported from the handle of the wrench through a center position and connected to the nut by means of a connecting link assembly pivotally secured at one end to the lever intermediate its opposite ends and secured to the nut at its other end in a manner enabling free rotation of the nut relative to the shank and connecting link assembly.

By this type of construction the Stilson wrench may be actuated to have a tighter grip on an object with which it is en gaged and the grip of the wrench on the object thereby may be readily loosened or tightened by actuation of the second class lever independent of rotation of the nut relative to the shank. Of course, adjustments in the wrench to enable it to engage different size objects are still to be made by means of the thrust nut.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved Stilson-type pipe wrench construction which may be more conveniently utilized than a conventional Stilson wrench.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the im mediately preceding object, is to provide an improved wrench construction that may be secured to a suitable base and used as a pipe vise.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved wrench construction which may be readily fabricated from a conventional Stilson wrench or have the novel components thereof incorporated into Stilson wrenches being manufactured.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an improved wrench construction in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming. a part hereof wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FlG. l is a side elevational view of a wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention and secured to a suitable base which may be rested upon or secured to a suitable work surface and which adapts the wrench for use as a vise;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assemblage illustrated in HO. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the assemblage'illustrated in P16. 1 and with portions thereof being broken away and illustrated in longitudinal vertical section; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the improved wrench of the instant invention. The wrench 10 includes an elongated handle 12 having a jaw element 14 secured to one end thereof by means of a removable pin 16. The jaw element 14 is toothed as at 18 and faces endwise outwardly of the end of the handle 12 to which the jaw element 14 is secured.

The handle 12 includes a laterally outwardlyprojecting portion 20 on its end adjacent and disposed to one side of the jaw element 14 and the portion 14 has a bore or passage 22 formed therethrough which generally parallels the handle 12. The portion 20 is slotted as at 24 and a leaf spring 26 is disposed within the passage 22 and includes a laterally directed end portion 28 snugly received within the slot 24.

The wrench 10 further includes an elongated shank 30 which is threaded on one end as at 32 and is provided with a laterally outwardly projecting jaw 34 at its other end. The jaw 34 is toothed as at 36 and is aligned with and opposes the jaw element 14. Accordingly, the jaw 34 may be moved toward and away from the jaw element l4 by left-to-right and right-to left shifting of the shank relative to the handle 12 as the wrench 10 is viewed in FlG. 3 of the drawings.

The handle 12 further includes a pair of transversely spaced and outwardly projecting guide cars 38 between which the terminal end of the shank 30 remote from the jaw 34 is guidingly received. in addition, a thrust nut 40 is provided and is threaded on the shank 30 between the portion 20 and the ears 38. Thus it can be seen that the thrust nut 40 is disposed within a window 42 defined between the cars 38 and the opposing end of the portion 20 and bounded inwardly by the edgc 44 of the handle 12 extending between the cars 38 and the portion 20.

The thrust nut 40 includes a circumferentially extending groove 46 spaced from its axial ends and a half circular thrust member ring 48 including oppositely outwardly directed aligned pivot pin defining portions 50 snugly embraces the nut 40 and is seated in the half of the circumferential groove 46 adjacent the edge 44. it may be seen from F165. 3 and 4 of the drawings that the clearance between the center of the thrust member ring and the edge 44 is minimal and that the thrust member ring 48 may therefore not be disengaged from the nut 40 until such time as the shank 30 is fully extended so as to unthrcad the nut 40 from the threaded end of the shank 30 and enable the nut 40 to move outwardly of the window 42.

The handle 12 includes a mounting lug 52 to which one end of a second class lever 54 is pivotally secured by means of a pivot pin 56. The end of the lever 54 remote from the pivot pin 56 is provided with a widened portion 58 defining a handgrip and a pair of connecting links 60 have corresponding end portions pivotally secured to the link 54 by means of a pivot pin 62 while the other pair of corresponding ends of the connecting links 60 are rotatably received on the pivot pins 50 and releasably secured thereon by means of cotter pins 62.

Thus, from a comparison of FlGS. l and 3 of the drawings, it may be seen that the lever 54 may be swung from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings to the overcentcr position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings in order to move the jaw 34 toward the jaw element 14 so as to clamp a workpiece disposed between the jaw 34 and the jaw element 14. Of course, the etfective distance between the pivot pin 62 and the jaw 34 may be varied by rotating the nut 40 on the shank 30.

As can be seen from the drawings, the wrench 10 is mounted on a stand referred to in general by the reference numeral 66 and including a lower baseplate 68 smoothly curved upwardly at one end as at 70 and including upstanding inverted V-shaped stands 72 and 74 which are secured to opposite ends of the handle 12 in any convenient manner such as welding as at 76 and 78. The baseplate 68 is suitably apertured as at 80 whereby the baseplate may be readily secured to a workbench or the tailgate of a plumbers truck so as to provide a stationary support for the stand 66 and the wrench l0 sup ported therefrom in order that the latter may be utilized as a vise.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A wrench construction including an elongated handle provided with a first endwise outwardly facing stationary jaw at one end and defining a short sleeve bore disposed to one side of said stationary jaw, an elongated threaded shank slidably disposed through said sleeve bore and including a second laterally outwardly projecting jaw aligned with and opposing said first jaw, a threaded thrust nut threaded on said shank and opposing the portions of said handle defining the end of the sleeve bore remote from the second jaw, a lever pivotally supported at one end from the end portion of the handle remote from the first jaw, and an elongated connecting link assembly pivotally secured at one end to the lever intermediate its opposite ends and connected to said nut at its other end for rotation of the nut relative to the link assembly and against axial shifting of the nut relative to the link as sembly.

2. The combination of claim I wherein the portion of said shankengaged by said nut extends along and is spaced slightly from an opposing side edge of said handle sufficient to provide minimal clearance between said side edge and the opposing surfaces of said nut, said nut having a thrust member journaled thereon, said other end of said link assembly being pivotally secured to said thrust member.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said nut includes a circumferential groove, said thrust member ocmprising a halfcircular ring member seated in said groove, the midportion of said half-circular ring member closely opposing said side edge with the clearance between said side edge and said midportion being insufficient to enable sufficient radial outward movement of said ring member from said nut to withdraw the ring spaced portions of said other end of said link assembly comprise corresponding ends of a pair of elongatedlinks comprising said link assembly between which said nut, said shank, and

the adjacent portions of said lever are received.

6 The combination of claim 1 wherein the portion of said shank engaged by said nut extends along and is spaced slightly from an opposing side edge of said handle sufficient to provide minimal clearance between said side edge and the opposing surfaces of said nut, said nut having a thrust member journaled thereon, said other end of said link assembly being pivotally secured to said thrust member, said lever being swingable past a center position during its movement relative to said handle effecting movement of said second jaw toward said first jaw.

7. The combination of claim 1 including a baseplate adapted to be secured to a suitable support surface, a pair of upwardly convergent leg assemblies secured at their lower 

1. A wrench construction including an elongated handle provided with a first endwise outwardly facing stationary jaw at one end and defining a short sleeve bore disposed to one side of said stationary jaw, an elongated threaded shank slidably disposed through said sleeve bore and including a second laterally outwardly projecting jaw aligned with and opposing said first jaw, a threaded thrust nut threaded on said shank and opposing the portions of said handle defining the end of the sleeve bore remote from the second jaw, a lever pivotally supported at one end from the end portion of the handle remote from the first jaw, and an elongated connecting link assembly pivotally secured at one end to the lever intermediate its opposite ends and connected to said nut at its other end for rotation of the nut relative to the link assembly and against axial shifting of the nut relative to the link assembly.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the portion of said shank engaged by said nut extends along and is spaced slightly from an opposing side edge of said handle sufficient to provide minimal clearance between said side edge and the opposing surfaces of said nut, said nut having a thrust member journaled thereon, said other end of said link assembly being pivotally secured to said thrust member.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said nut includes a circumferential groove, said thrust member ocmprising a half-circular ring member seated in said groove, the midportion of said half-circular ring member closely opposing said side edge with the clearance between said side edge and said midportion being insufficient to enable sufficient radial outward movement of said ring member from said nut to withdraw the ring member from said groove.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the opposite ends of said ring member include oppositely outwardly directed pin portions upon which transversely spaced portions of said other end of said link assembly are oscillatably supported.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said transversely spaced portions of said other end of said link assembly comprise corresponding ends of a pair of elongated links comprising said link assembly between which said nut, said shank, and the adjacent portions of said lever are received. 6 The combination of claim 1 wherein the portion of said shank engaged by said nut extends along and is spaced slightly from an opposing side edge of said handle sufficient to provide minimal clearance between said side edge and the opposing surfaces of said nut, said nut having a thrust member journaled thereon, said other end of said link assembly being pivotally secured to said thrust member, said lever being Swingable past a center position during its movement relative to said handle effecting movement of said second jaw toward said first jaw.
 7. The combination of claim 1 including a baseplate adapted to be secured to a suitable support surface, a pair of upwardly convergent leg assemblies secured at their lower ends to said baseplate, said handle having longitudinally spaced portions thereof secured to the upper ends of said leg assemblies.
 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said leg assemblies each include a pair of upwardly convergent leg members independently secured, at their upper and lower ends to said handle and base plate, respectively. 